File syncing apps have plenty of uses, and the apps covered here work well for most needs. For example, Dropbox stores your files online so that you can access them anywhere, while Resilio Sync skips servers altogether and syncs via a peer-to-peer connection. Dropbox is a file sync utility that’s easy to use because the folder in which you store files on your device is replicated to all the computers and mobile devices signed in to your account....

Boosters work by feeding off the service you already have. These devices use larger, additional antennas in addition to the one included with your phone or other mobile devices. Keep in mind that a signal booster helps when the signal is weak. Unfortunately, a booster is not effective in a dead zone where there’s no cell signal at all. In evaluating cell phone signal boosters, we closely examined range, frequencies, cellular networks, antennas, and ease of installation....

Receivers should have lots of HDMI ports to be able to support your entire setup. They should also be able to connect to and amplify all of the speakers in your system. If you have a 7.1 surround sound system for instance, you’ll need a receiver that supports that type of setup, as some receivers only support 5.1-channel surround sound. You’ll also want to make sure your receiver supports the video and audio technologies you plan on using, so keep an eye out for 4K support, as well as different audio tech like Dolby Audio....

The Optoma GT1080HDR is a perfect example of a gaming projector that goes above and beyond (but is still reasonably priced). It produces gorgeous full HD images, can create 100-foot projections, has HDR10 support for vibrant, rich colors, and a spectacular 28,000:1 contrast ratio for deep blacks and brilliant whites. Its 16ms response time in Enhance Gaming Mode secures its crown as the best gaming projector, and it’s an incredible way to showcase what the best gaming consoles are capable of....

Now, pretend to visit yourself five years into the future and see that your little side project turned into one of the biggest communications technologies of the last 100 years. This is the history of Twitter. Early Twitter Twitter began as an idea that Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey (@Jack) had in 2006. Dorsey had originally imagined Twitter as an SMS-based communications platform. Groups of friends could keep tabs on what each other were doing based on their status updates....

The social media juggernaut made headlines after users discovered apparent racial bias in its image preview algorithm. The discovery happened after Twitter user Colin Madland used the platform to call out Zoom’s failure to recognize his Black colleagues who used the green screen technology, but in a grand show of irony, he found Twitter’s image-cropping algorithm behaved similarly and deprioritized Black faces. Other users got in on the trend sparking a series of viral tweets showing the algorithm consistently prioritized white and lighter-skinned faces, ranging from people to cartoon characters and even dogs....

Studios big and small rely on Unity to create games. If you’ve ever played Among Us, Pokémon Go, Beat Saber, or Genshin Impact, you’ve experienced firsthand the power of the engine. IronSource, meanwhile, doesn’t have the same reputation. The software company is responsible for InstallCore, a bit of software that tries to install unwanted software alongside your target program, and it often plays host to malware. Developers are uneasy knowing that their engine is now tied to a company with an unscrupulous past, but it sounds like most gamers won’t be impacted by the awkward business move....

Mountain Lion is the second version of macOS that can only be purchased through the Mac App Store. The upgrade install process lets you install Mountain Lion over your existing version of macOS and still retain all of your user data, most of your system preferences, and most of your applications. You may lose some apps that cannot run on Mountain Lion. The installer may also change some of your preference files because certain settings are no longer supported or are incompatible with some features of the new OS....

In this guide, we will examine the four Finder views, how to access them, and learn the best time to use each type of view. Finder Views Icon: Each file or folder is represented by an icon. The Mac desktop is a good example of icon view. List: List view shows details about a file or folder, including its many attributes. List view is similar to the standard view in Windows Explorer....

The Victrola Stream Carbon is a record turntable that connects to your Sonos home audio streaming system. You’ll still have to get up to flip your records to side B, but other than that, it’s the Sonos you already love, only with added hipster appeal. But doesn’t this kind of miss one of the points of vinyl, which is the whole all-analog, hands-on aspect of the format? “Instead of forcing people that already stream to have to purchase traditional (wired) speakers, Victrola can instead offer a very nice record player that doesn’t require new users to also have to retool their music room equipment....

I’ve been trying out the Revolution GO and have been thoroughly impressed with its audio abilities. The fact that this record player is also a Bluetooth speaker should make it a serious consideration for any vinyl fan. It’s also an excellent way for those raised on digital music to dip a toe in the past. I’ve owned more Bluetooth speakers in my time than I’d care to count and wasn’t expecting much from the relatively drab black monolith that arrived from Victrola....

What Are All-In-One PCs? The earliest form of computer displays used large cathode-ray tubes. Because of the size of the displays, computer systems were comprised of three key components: the monitor, the computer case, and the input devices. As the size of the monitors decreased and the computer market consolidated into IBM-compatible and Apple-compatible product lines, computer companies started to integrate the computer case into the monitor to create all-in-one designs....

Artificial intelligence is converging with biometrics to help provide more security in computers and smartphones. Biometrics Definition Biometrics is defined as the study and application of scientific and/or technological methods designed to measure, analyze, and/or record a human’s unique physiological or behavioral characteristics. In fact, many of us already use biometrics now in the forms of our fingerprints and our faces. How Biometrics Are Used in Daily Life Although biometrics has been used by various industries for decades, modern tech has helped it gain more public awareness....

What Is DTS? DTS, Inc. started life as Digital Theater Systems. Eventually, the company officially shortened its name to the acronym DTS. A brief background on the significance of DTS in the evolution of the home theater includes: DTS was founded in 1993 as a competitor to Dolby Labs in the development of surround sound audio encoding, decoding, and processing technology for cinema and home theater applications. The first credited theatrical movie release that employed DTS audio surround sound technology was Jurassic Park....

A computer file can be thought of much like a traditional file that one would find in an office’s file cabinet. Just like an office file, the information in a computer file could consist of basically anything. More About Computer Files Whatever program uses an individual file is responsible for understanding its contents. Similar types of files are said to be of a common “format.” In most cases, the easiest way to determine a file’s format is to look at the file’s extension....

To understand how a DSLR camera works (and what makes them so popular) it’s necessary to first understand how its predecessor, the SLR camera works. How SLR Cameras Work You may have seen an SLR camera and never realized it. These are the film cameras that were popular in the mid- to late-1990s. They consist of a camera body to which interchangeable lenses can be added. These lenses can vary, depending on the type of image a photographer wants to capture....

Knowing when your computer’s hard drive is being accessed is helpful so you can avoid pulling the battery or unplugging the computer while the operating system is still accessing files on the drive, a mistake that can cause corruption of important files. Where Is the HDD LED Located? On a desktop, this activity light is usually positioned on the front of the computer case. On a laptop, it’s typically located near the power button, which is sometimes next to the keyboard and other times on an edge of the computer....

To achieve this, the lens generally must have a very short minimum focal distance to get the object physically close to the lens and sensor. This makes macro lenses ideal for close-up photography and still-life work. Some can even “switch hit” to produce beautiful portraits. Macro Lens Magnification and Reproduction Ratio Some macro lenses are capable of creating images larger than their real-world counterpart, described as a “magnification ratio” in most technical specifications....

What Is a Mechanical Keyboard? Mechanical keyboards have physical switches beneath the keys that recreate the touch and audio experience of typing on a typewriter. Press a key, and you press its switch. You’ll hear pretty loud clickity-clack sounds as you type. Although different types of switches are used in mechanical keyboards, these keyboards generally result in more accurate typing and high-speed typing. Mechanical keyboards may seem like clunky relics of a bygone era of computers, but, for many people, newer membrane keyboards don’t have the same satisfying sound or feel....

U.S. Mobile Carriers Mobile carriers are large entities that must acquire a radio spectrum license from the U.S. government to operate in any region of the country. They own and operate extensive infrastructure in the regions where they offer service. The names of these telecommunication giants are familiar. Some of the most well-known mobile carriers in the United States include: Verizon WirelessSprint/T-MobileAT&T Mobility If you don’t see your mobile carrier on this list, you probably use one of the many mobile virtual network operators, some of which are subsidiaries or partners with one of the licensed cellular providers....